My Hero From the Start
by homra-kid
Summary: He was still young, lost, & afraid. He was heroic, but a true & pure spirit. As fate brought them together against their own wills, they discover not only the value of trust & friendship on their journey, but love beyond their wildest dreams. Zack/Hope AU


**Summary: **Hope Estheim was one of only a handful of survivor's left alive from the purge in Bodhom. But the price to pay for living was being cursed as a L'Cie by the Pulse Fal'Cie Anima. In order to protect his son from being captured by the Sanctum, Bartholomew hires one of Shinra's 1st class SOLDIER's, Zack Fair to escort Hope to Midgar and live a normal life safely hidden from the rule of the Sanctum and Cocoon. On their journey, Hope and Zack struggle to get along and tolerate each other, but as they find themselves overcoming the obstacles of their journey and saving each other time and time again they find their relationship becoming more than just a body guard for hire and a teenager unwilling to be protected.

A crossover of Final Fantasy VII & XIII - Main pairings: Zack x Hope

Inspired by: "Savin' Me" by Nickelback & "Eye's on Me" by Faya Wong

-x-x-x-

_Ring, Ring, Ring._

"Argh, wha? Who could be calling me at this time in the morning?"

He yawned heavily, reluctant to shake the warmth of the blanket off his bare skin. Today was supposed to be his weekend off, and the other night he enjoyed it quite more than usual. Smirking at the mere memory of last night's activities, he gave the brown haired girl asleep beside him a short glance before swiping the cell phone off the side table and pressing the answer button.

"Zack here, so what's going on?" he asked almost cheerfully despite the inconvenience.

"Hey! It's Kunsel, I was told to inform you that you've got a mission waiting."

"What? Are you serious? Man... And this was supposed to be my weekend off." He paused. "Is it urgent?"

"From the looks of things, I'm betting it is since Lazard seemed rather uptight about it."

"Uptight? That's a little strange. Sounds like this might have something to do with the higher ups..." It was never in his jurisdiction to question too much when it came to the decisions made by the President and board of Shinra, but when it cut into his vacation time then he had one thing or another to say.

Making a mental note to question his executive about the situation later, he gave Kunsel his thanks and hung up. Pushing himself out of bed, he retrieved his clothes from off the floor that lay scattered about from last night's heated enjoyment. Throwing them into the nearest laundry bin, he strolled towards his bathroom to take a quick shower; leaving the flower girl still in his bed.

The sound of running water though, shook the serenity of the room, causing the girl's eyes to slowly flutter open and release a small yawn from her quivering lips. Stretching, she at first expected to find her SOLDIER boyfriend still in bed asleep beside her, but to her dismay he was nowhere to be found. The echo of the shower though, assured her that he hadn't left the apartment, and she smiled with relief.

Zack returned to the room in less than five minutes, a white towel wrapped loosely around his waist and his skin smelling fresh with soap and steam. He smirked, seeing his girlfriend now wide awake in his bed but still undressed. The expression on her face made him want to just jump right back under the covers again but he had responsibilities as a 1st class SOLDIER to uphold. Regrettably, he turned his attention away from her lovely face and wandered over to his closet.

Aerith frowned at first, wondering what could be going on, she wrapped the blanket around her nude form and sat up on the side of the bed, "Zack?" she asked.

"Hm?" He managed to fasten his belt, as he proceeded to pull down a black undershirt he looked over his shoulder at the brown haired girl, "What is it?"

"I thought you said that you had the weekend off, I was hoping that we'd go out for breakfast or maybe another date..."

"I know Aerith, but Kunsel called and told me I had another mission. When I get back, I'll take you out right when I arrive, deal?" Zack tried to smile, but it was difficult. He had no idea what the mission was to even begin with, and there was always a fifty, fifty chance that he wouldn't return.

"Deal..." Aerith sighed, this was always like him, but she couldn't blame him. As a SOLDIER, it was his way of fulfilling his dream of being a hero, and she couldn't bear to take that away from him.

Strapping on his armor, he at last put the finishing touches to his uniform. Looking himself over in the mirror once, he quickly turned his gaze towards the still undressed Aerith that sat silently on his bed. Walking over to her, he kneeled down in front of her and took her small hand into his, "I know, I worry you but you know I have no control over what they assign me."

"I understand, really I do Zack. Whenever I see you, it makes me feel so happy, but at the same time, I'm sad because I don't know if it will be the last time we meet again... Zack, you mean so much to me but-"

Zack placed a finger against her lips, "Wait for me."

"Excuse me?" she blinked in question, curious to know what exactly could be running through the SOLDIER's mind.

"I promise I'll come back to you no matter what. All you have to do is wait for me like you always do." he smiled softly, bringing her hand to his lips as he placed a kiss against the softness of her skin.

"Oh Zack..." Aerith could only smile down at him as fresh tears clouded her vision and she leaned down to place a kiss against his lips.

-x-

The couple said their good byes halfheartedly. Watching the flower maiden disappear into the crowd of people, Zack reluctantly returned to the company lobby and began his route towards the SOLDIER's briefing room on the other side of the building. He wasn't in a hurry, but once ten minutes of constant walking and daydreaming hit, he picked up his pace and ran the rest of the way in fear of upsetting Lazard any further and receiving an unneeded scold from the blond haired executive.

By the time the 1st class SOLDIER arrived, Lazard's face hardened and a gentle glare and shake of the head could be seen. To his surprise, Cloud Strife was also in the room, seated at the table silently waiting for him but timid as ever before. Quickly, Zack made himself comfortable and pulled up a chair next to his blond friend. Lazard sighed, taking his own seat across the pair as he placed a hand beneath his chin for support.

"So, let's get this over with because I'm pretty starved. I haven't eaten anything since last night at dinner to tell you the truth." Zack laughed.

"Right..." The blond executive cleared his throat, "As you already know, your vacation has been cut short due to this mission we've assigned you. And before you even think of interrupting, try not to question me because I will be explaining in detail the key points of your mission."

"Alright, alright, so what's going on? Am I guessing it's another monster clean up or training the new recruits?"

"None, this is a mission unlike any other you've had before Zack." Pushing his glasses forward, Lazard took in a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever objection that may come out of the first class SOLDIER's mouth, "You'll instead be guarding Commander Bartholomew Estheim's son and escorting him back here to Midgar."

"Wait wha? Are you saying that I'm basically supposed to be some kid's body guard!" Zack exclaimed quite loudly, practically shoving his chair back, he stood up and slammed his fists into the table.

"That is exactly what I'm telling you Zack."

"But, why me? Can't this Estheim guy or whatever get someone else to do it? Why not not a second or third class?" Zack gritted his teeth, hoping that somehow this predicament could be resolved without his assistance.

"Zack, try to understand this, Commander Estheim has paid a hefty sum to hire you since Sephiroth is unavailable at the moment. Originally, we denied his request to hire any of the 1st, but after the first rejection he doubled his offer and the President couldn't refuse so we accepted the deal. This mission is very urgent, and Commander Estheim asks that you arrive as soon as possible. We already made travel arrangements that are set to take you to Eden in two hours, I've also taken the liberty of asking Mr. Strife here to accompany you on your mission and to assist you in any way he can."

"Well, at least I won't be alone..." Zack glanced over at the blond and smiled at his friend. "Anything else I need to know 'sir'?"

"Yes actually." Lazard placed a small pack on the table and pushed it towards the dark haired male.

"What's this for?" he asked, looking over the small bag in question.

"As you already know, Shinra has made all of your travel arrangements. Reno from the Turks will be taking you to Eden where you'll meet with Commander Estheim and his son. The only problem is since Reno must return as soon as you arrive in Eden; you'll be traveling on your own from there. But don't worry, in this pack are your train and airfare tickets. Now, as soon as you're in Eden, and your done preparing for the journey back, you'll take the train from Eden to Palumpolum, you'll then switch onto the next train that takes you to Nautilus. From there you'll board a flight to Deling City and when you arrive at the Vile Peaks there will be a flight that takes you home. Did my oral instructions make any sense or were you too slow to keep up?"

"Um, well..." Zack ran a hand through the spikes of his black hair, instead of answering the question, he let his chuckle be the only reply, signaling that it was indeed a little too much to take in all at once.

Lazard shook his head with disappointment, "In case you didn't understand what I said, there are written instructions for you in the pack. I suggest you refer to that on the way to Eden. Do you have any more questions for me?" he sighed and rubbed his temple, hoping to dear god that the puppy of SOLDIER had enough to say, but to his even greater disappointment he was proved wrong.

"I've got only two actually, first there's money in here to buy food for the trip right?" Zack beamed, causing Cloud to slap his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"Yes Zack, there is enough cash to cover your own expenses..." Lazard murmured.

"Good! Now second question, what does this kid look like?"

-x-

Zack and Cloud packed as light as they were able to, from what they had been told, the travel would take at least five days if not more to get to their destination. They're only concern though, was getting back. Zack especially was anxious to get this mission cleared as soon as possible, mostly because he had no intention of making Aerith wait for him any longer than she had to. His worry for her only grew as they boarded the chopper and found they're seats waiting for them in the back.

Taking off into the brightening sky, Zack reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small photograph. He glanced down at the image, burning the faces into his memory as his eyes darted from one corner to the other; taking in as much detail as he possibly could.

o0o0o

_"What does this kid look like?" _

_"I thought you might ask that sooner or later." Lazard retrieved a file from the other side of the room. Upon his return, he had the picture in his hand ready for both Zack and Cloud to see, "He's the young boy with silver hair and green eyes. From what I was told earlier, he's just recently turned fifteen. Apparently, he was involved in an accident in Bodhom a month ago which resulted in his mother's death. The incident was called the purge I believe?"_

_"The purge? So, they had a holy ceremony?" Cloud looked up at the executive, his gray-blue eyes growing with curiosity._

_"It was nothing like that at all actually; on the contrary it was quite the opposite. Eden resides in the land of Cocoon which is a floating world of its own. While we're here on the ground, the cities that dwell on Cocoon are practically isolated from us. Although we do have some contact, their belief in the legends of the old days live on strongly."_

_"What's your point exactly?" Zack took the photograph from the blonds hand to get a better look. Inspecting the young face, he was almost amazed to see that the teen was quite small for being fifteen. _

_"The point is Zack that the incident in Bodhom was because of a god from Pulse. From what we were able to collect after Commander Estheim requested your assistance, they call this god a Fal'Cie. Since his dominion is from the lands of Pulse, his presence in the beach town of Bodhom caused wide spread panic and left a majority of the population massacred by the chaos itself. Rumor has it, that out of the thousands involved, only six were found alive, including Commander Estheim's son, Hope Estheim."_

_o0o0o_

"Interesting kid, he looks like one of those apathetic kind of guys don't you think Cloud?" Zack handed the photo over to his blond companion. Grinning, he watched as the infantryman reluctantly took the picture into his grasp and held it still.

"I guess you can say that, but I think there's something more to him than meets the eye Zack."

"Yeah, you're probably right about that. I mean, we can't exactly assume he is apathetic just by looking at a picture, besides we haven't even met the kid yet." Taking the photograph back, Zack stuffed it into his pocket. Settling a little more comfortably in his seat, the helicopter began to lift into the air, thus signaling that there was no turning back; not now and not ever.

-x-

_Five days later..._

Zack had been restless the entire trip to Eden. Cloud wasn't too bothered by it though since he had spent a good amount of time with the SOLDIER to tolerate his antics already, but Reno on the other hand was at a point where he may as well commit suicide if he had to continue listening to the firt class SOLDIER's never ending chatter. By the time they had arrived in the capital, Zack's excitement went up full blast and he was the first one off the train, with Cloud struggling to keep up with his bouncy friend and Reno finally letting out a sigh of relief he didn't know he had held in before.

To the trio's surprise, an escort of guardian soldiers awaited for them at the front of the station. They were obviously appointed by Commander Estheim to their relief, and so the group followed them into the bus which began its travel up towards the central parts of the city.

In the dark haired male's mind, he wondered what kind of person his client was like. He was curious, and worried. Worried because of the ordeal this Hope kid had recently lived through, curious because in his gut he felt he needed to reach out to the teen somehow. Maybe it was out of pity, but most of all, he just wanted to.

It took at least an hour or so for the crew to finally arrive at what was called the East Command Center building of the Sanctum. As they boarded off the bus, Zack could see a small party of five individuals by the gate. Four were dressed in the same uniform, but the last one stood out like a stick in the mud. He was tall and lean, with brown graying hair and sharp stone like eyes. Zack assumed that it was the commanding officer, but what he didn't know was that it was none other than the man who had hired him in the first place.

"Welcome to Eden, I'm grateful that you've all arrived here safe and sound." The man approached the trio, offering his hand first to Zack, then Cloud and Reno. They all shook hands, smiling if not only nodding they're heads in agreement.

"This city is enormous, almost three times as big as Midgar." Cloud said.

"Well, I don't know how to agree since I've never been to Midgar." He chuckled softly, "But, let me introduce myself, I am Commander Bartholomew Estheim."

"Oh, so you're the guy that hired us!" Zack beamed with excitement, "So where's uh… Hope? Yeah, Hope! Where's your son, I'd like to meet him!"

"Now there, settle down. You'll meet him momentarily. I'm flattered that you're so eager to meet my son but to be honest he has no idea about this."

"Wait, you haven't even told him sir?" Reno finally spoke.

"No I haven't, but please follow me to my office. We'll be able talk more in private there."

"_What kind of guy doesn't tell their kid about something as big as this?..." _Zack thought to himself, clearly disappointed by the older man's parental skills.

Following the Commander in silence, the three Shinra employees traveled across the large open courtyard that was currently being occupied by what looked like a combat class that consisted of teenage soldiers ranging from ages fifteen and up. Many looked much too young to even have any knowledge of weaponry or military training but it seemed as though here in Eden the rules didn't apply to that and a wider set of privileges was available to them compared to Midgar. Glancing from one face to another, he caught sight of a pair of brilliant green eyes and striking silver hair that bended in the sunlight. At first, he didn't want to believe it, but as his eyes focused on the youthful face he found to his dismay it was none other than the boy he was hired to protect and take home with him to Midgar, Hope Estheim.

"Uhh—wha!—"

"Hurry up slick or you'll be left behind!" Reno called out.

The voice of the red-haired Turk broke his train of thought. Shaking his head, Zack reluctantly turned away from the class. Catching up with the group, they followed the Commander into the building. Watching people in uniform zig zag here and there, it seemed as though compared to Shinra, this place was twice as busier than the company.

Just barely dodging a young secretary running towards the west wing with an armful of papers, Zack navigated with flashes of obstacles popping here and there at each turn. Walking down the last hallway, they came to a set of large doors that immediately opened upon their arrival. Entering the room, Zack figured that it was none other than the commander's office. Peeking around, he found the area to be much too big to be called an office, more like a suite in his opinion, seeing as how there was a couch on one side, a fridge in the corner, a desk in the back that faced the doors, and several arm chairs scattered about throughout the place.

Bartholomew signaled for his subordinates to wait outside the room. Watching the doors close, he placed his hands behind his back and strolled over to his desk. "Now that we're alone, we can talk. If you have any concerns, feel free to ask me now."

"I have one actually!" Zack raised his hand, causing all eyes to fall on the first class SOLDIER.

Nodding, Bartholomew ushered for them all to pull up a chair as he finally took his own seat at his desk. "Yes? And what might that be Mr. Fair?"

"Those kids back in the courtyard, was Hope in that group by any chance?"

"I'm sort of curious about it too…" Cloud added, looking down shyly.

The older male rubbed his temple, causing the younger men to wait with anticipation. "I won't lie to any of you, indeed the person you saw was my son. He is training under one of our general's, Lightning Farron to become a member of our guardian corps. Right now, his class is undergoing a rigorous training session before they take the mark of mastery which is to be held in two days' time." Glancing towards the picture frame sitting on the corner of his desk, Bartholomew sighed quietly. "I know very well that we are pressed for time, but this trial means everything to my son. Of course, I plan on telling him about the move later today but if you aren't willing to wait until after the final I will understand."

Zack smiled, thinking back to his days as a low ranking SOLDIER, he remembered his own share of trials to get to where he was now. Placing a gloved hand beneath his chin, he nodded to himself, releasing a soft chuckle now and then until he beamed at the commander. "I sure as hell have no problem waiting! What about you Cloud? Think it'll give us a chance to bond with the kid?" he laughed jokingly as he punched the infantryman's shoulder.

Smiling sheepishly, the blonde pushed the SOLDIER aside lightly, rubbing his shoulder to numb out the small pricks of pain from his older friends 'playful' punch. "I honestly have nothing against the idea so it's alright with me too."

"Well, luckily for me I'm leaving early so I don't have to stick around for any of ya." Reno scoffed.

"Wow, way to kill the mood huh Turk?" Zack pouted and crossed his arms.

"Sorry slick, but that's my job!"

"Wait, sir?" Cloud looked up, placing his hands on his knees, he gripped at them tightly. "I know that you want your son to live happily in Midgar, but why make him leave so suddenly? Especially if he has a chance to succeed in life here if he passes this mark of mastery?"

The question echoed in Zack's mind. Now that he had a chance to think about it, Cloud was quite right. From his stand point, the opportunities in this city exceeded far beyond that of Midgar and any other city he had been to for that matter. There was no logical explanation to it honestly. In his mind, he felt that if he were in the commander's position, he wouldn't have even considered moving his son.

Bartholomew sighed, trying to find a way to respond to the question. He knew sooner or later that they're curiosity would happen upon this subject. "You all know what happened in Bodhom the month before, right?"

"Of course we do! It had something to do with a god called a Fal'Cie. What's this got to do with the situation pop's?" Reno yawned, waving his hand as if he was a genius compared to his companions.

"It has everything to do with what is happening now. And please, do show some respect." Bartholomew scolded the red-head with a shaking face. "The Fal'Cie are a powerful race, although they are physically machine-like, they're powers expand beyond any of our imaginations. One ability that the Sanctum has discovered over the years in which all Fal'Cie possess is turning us human's into their servants whom we call L'Cie."

"L'Cie huh? Scary…." Reno snickered, his voice cracking with sarcasm written all over his face.

"You should be wise to fear transforming into a L'Cie young man. Not all are able to tell the tale since the Sanctum's law is to eliminate all traces of Pulse from Cocoon, including L'Cie. You see, when a Fal'Cie transforms us into L'Cie, we are given a task, a focus. Unfortunately, there is a time limit to how long you have to complete it, and if you fail, you become a mindless monster called a C'ith. But, if you are success, your reward is being crystalized for eternity in a deep sleep."

"Okay that's really scary…" Reno swallowed, regretting his rudeness from earlier as he sank deep into his chair.

"Why are you telling us all this?" Zack stared hard across the desk at the older man, almost afraid to know what the answer may be.

"Because, Mr. Fair, my son was turned into a L'Cie during the purge in Bodhum."

**A/N: **Nico why'd you write this when you have so many other unfinished stories to write?

**Answer: **Because I got bored, and I had the urge to write because I've grown attached to Zack Fair after playing Crisis Core! Kill me if you want but oh well boo whoooo for you! Alright then now I feel sort of terrible, great...

-x-x-x-

But anyways yes, the pairing is Zack and Hope (ignore Aerith for now, she's unimportant for the moment & so I'm sorry Aerith x Zack fans _). I originally was thinking of Squall instead of Zack, but I'll save that one for another time since Zack won my vote the most. I'm working on and off on everything right now. It's kind of hard since I'm a senior, but I'm trying my best to keep up with all the updates and what not.

Any who, please send me some feedback on what you think – a review would be absolutely lovely so that I can take into consideration on whether or not I should keep writing this story. Tell me all the flaws, if I was going too fast, slow, or what you like and what I may need to improve (: Thank you!


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